Jack or mack on the menuPeter Wells | First Published: December 2014

With the start of the New Year and most anglers enjoying annual holidays there has never been a better time to fish the beautiful Sunshine Coast. With quality mangrove jack, threadfin and mulloway all present in the Noosa River, anglers are spoilt for choice.

Trolling hardbodies has been the key to getting stuck into the notorious mangrove jack. There are some great lures on the market but one of the standouts is the Maria MJ Twitch in the 70mm, this is a suspending lure that will dive to 2m, which is perfect for trolling.

Fishing the top of the rock bars from Johns Landing to the mouth of Cootharaba has been well worth the effort. Try casting the new Zerek Hot Legs into snags as you work your way up and down the river, this has also claimed some trophy fish.

From the ski run up to the mouth of Lake Cooroibah, soft plastics have been working a treat. Z-Mans have been working well, with the redbone and pinfish a couple of my favourite colours. Good sized flathead and school mulloway have been cruising the bottom so make sure you have a heavy enough jighead to keep you on the bottom. Set yourself up on the outgoing tide and start from up near the lake and simply drift your way back on the tide.

While you are up there, try dropping in a few crab pots, make sure you have your details on your floats or if you are tying off to a tree make sure your details are above the water line. Remember to only keep the males and only four crab pots per person. For more details on where the crabs are walking drop in and have a chat with the Davo’s team.

Woods Bays has been a go-to area for most anglers early in the morning, with good size trevally on surface poppers. The Lucky Craft G-Splash has been one of the standout lures, bagging some nice giant and diamond trevally. As the day progresses give the specially rigged Davo’s Gladiator Prawn a go, slow rolled across the bottom, these plastics have definitely got the runs on the board.

The stretch of the river from Gympie Terrace, Munna Point and up into the Frying Pan has been producing good numbers of whiting. Live worms, pealed prawn and yabbies have been the favoured baits. Also casting over the flats with the River2sea Skinny Dog surface lures with the walk-the-dog technique has been a great way to bag an elbow-slapper or two.

The Maroochy River has also been outstanding. Anglers are seeing good size jacks up around the Dunethin Rock area. Trevally are also in good numbers along with mulloway. The deeper holes seem to hold the mulloway with the River2sea Jack Hammer soft vibes a real slayer when it comes to chasing these fish.

Working your way back down the river, the hole at the mouth of Coolum Creek is a particular favourite of mine. You may find yourself hooking in to a few flathead, jacks or even a stonker threadfin salmon. Try the larger size Live Target prawn or Wild Prawn from River2sea, these are rigged with a stinger hook at the base of the tail and will pick up fish when they are having a tentative inquiry.

While you are up that way don’t forget the crab pots. The Maroochy has some monster bucks that are full and sweet. Now the good news is if you live down Maroochy way our store at Marcoola has a great range and the team down there fish the local area and are more than happy to point you in the right direction.

On the beach we are seeing some nice flathead, the females are offshore spawning at the moment so the odd large flatty has graced the beach, remember your size limits and don’t forget to grab a pic of that big old girl before you return her to the waves. Fishing the gutters and deeper holes have seen quality sized dart and whiting using live beach worms. Big strip baits have been working well for mulloway; we have seen some sensational fish landed over the past couple of months. Fishing around the headlands, you can pretty much expect anything at this time of the year, from mulloway, small squire, sweetlip and maybe the odd spotted mackerel.

Offshore the pelagics have been all the rage. We have seen some great seasons in the past and this one is shaping up to be a cracker as well. With these ferocious feeders taking a liking to slow trolled pilchards, as well as metal slugs and diving lures trolled at speed.

Casting into the erupting bait schools is another exciting way to bag a mackerel or yellowfin tuna, with wahoo also crashing into lures and baits, it is an angler’s dream! The trick is to be crossing those bars just on first light with the action starting as soon as the sun comes up over the horizon.

Even though the pelagics are on the chew, the bottom is also very rewarding. Trout and nice sized sweetlip have been on the chew in and around the bommies and pinnacles of Sunshine Reef, while quality cobia seem to be on most of the closer reefs. Trolling skipping gars wide of North Reef and around Chardons may see you tangle with some great billfish.

• For any more info regarding outside fishing and a bar report please drop in and see the team at Davo’s Tackle World in Noosa or head into Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle in Marcoola. Jump online www.FishingNoosa.com.au for the latest bar reports and photos and remember, Tight Lines and Bent Spines!

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Matt Winter from Carters Ridge won the $50 Davo's Fish of the Week prize with the 87cm cobia he caught near Munna Point.

Local angler Kellie Blain tempted her 36cm elbow-slapper whiting with a live worm bait.

Rod McCarey from Point Arkright boated this quality snapper while on a Cougar One charter to the Barwon Banks.